Southward Ho!

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1940, Page 7

Southward Ho!

Into The Hinterland Westland’s Latest Asset

• This week,.. Westland to the -southward occupies special attention, and an important event o is to transpire tomorrow,, following to-day’s interesting ceremony t .a,t' Okarito. There, the magic urn the early gold discovery, and the rapid development to follow the recovery of vast quantities of tin* precious metal, will be. recalled, and the occasion suitably celebrated*. The gold find was the prelude to the opening'of the Far South. To-morrow, the Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Public Works, and j<a» tv," moves south from Waiho to per 1 oral a duty 1 ' which marks the great strides being made by transport facilities in a richly endowed territory by nature, so! long remote', because of the d:l?i.*nlties j in access; The story of the r iadirig of ■ the south' is one of long agitation, ‘ibr* achieverilent lias'“been delayed" iff part by the features of the country #hieh Imposed; harriers of cost and difficulties ; of construction in penetrating the Gtnse forest cpuntry, and spanning the numerous turbulent rivers and rapid stream crossings along the route of the highway. The long deferment ended some four years ago, when there was the decision to prosecute the road south and to link not only with Otago, but- also Southland. For in the agitation for road access, the good-people of both .the adjoining provinces had joined useful and infiuential forces with those of' Westland, in the endeavour of securing a measure of justice and ] fair consideration to a wide range T’ollfj’, Country with its stores of timber areas,..) valuable settlement lands, and great, scenic..hbiiuty.' The effect of the repre; sentatibijs; )Vas ,to attract the ,attep T ; tidp dfh'thtj-ynewly elected Labour Go-1 yerpmCntj >atid the Hon.' R. Semple, * Minister of Public Works, and other colleagues, toured .the. district, and in an aerial inspection of the far south, came 'to'.the momentous decision to begin Ctfre active prosecution of the work: ." jri • former times, previous administiiatidns.!had devoted some expenditure to this great national work, but without the determining decision which marked the activity under Mr Semple to. push the work' c 1 from more than one point. ■ 'As soon as made,'the decision had aipple,,'confifmation, for the work was ‘ in liand iit Wehekaj the Far South, and ! ill, Ot ago, and-later in Southland. The! Engineers., co-operated loyally, and : . it; was ''possible to, speed, up the under-.

taking, in a remarkable manner. Impel taut sections rapidly took shape, and special bridges were designed for many crossings, the rapid growth of the reading, and the high standard of road designed, were an earnest of the thoroughness of the great undertaking, and that superior degree of workmanship has been continued throughout. THE NEW ROAD. The sections in hand are:—Main ‘South jpad Westland County, from Well ok a southward: Haast to Jackson Bay section. In Otago, Makarora to Haast road (Vincent County). In Southlaind, Hollyi’ord to Okura road ■ Lake County). The designation of those sections, indicates the length of this remarkable national work, and the great extent of country it will traverse and open up. On the Otago side jt links with Central Otago and the Lake County. In the Southland connection, it links with the Homer Tunnel and Milford Sound routes. In the fjnal result, Westland County becomes linked by road with the whole of the South .Island, and in particular, tho hitherto southern half—long isolated and cut off from all ready connections with the outside, is to become attached to all marketing centres, end open for traffic to all. The national value of the new road in regard to the tourist traffic to te-vr-iopp is estimated as being substantial as well as a permanent return. Already skeleton programmes for regular motor-services, and preparations for stopping places en route, are under consideration. The authorities me fully.' seized with the potentia'ities of the loading scheme, and tlm possible early return to be derived from the ser.ices.. The natural weal iff o' the d'striet opened up will be available for private enterprise. Its timber resources will supply for years to come the major need of New Zealand in regard to all classes of building timbers, and as the land is cleared, and laid down in grass, stock production and dairying will be prominent in the annual returns. What the district may return in mineral wealth is for the explorer and projector to determine, but there is a vast' field of natural wonderland to cover, and mu "i native worth will be revealed. There is room in plenty for population and scope for work and development to provide em-

ployment for all. A great asset of latent possibilities is being opened for those who come after, and a field made available lor great strides in industry ■ and settlement. Such in brief, is an outline of what 1 to-morrow’s important function pro- i sages, in his act to-morrow, Hon 11. i Semple sets the seal on a great work with which his name will always he associated. He it was who determined . and recommended action, and who has i soon that it went forward with ail despatch. Circumstances now are causing delay, and the cause is beyond any local control. The business of the i war calls for all resources meantime, and the folk must be content to bide the retain of normal conditions, when i the wheels of machinery and the impetus of well directed labour are again operating to best advantage. THE NEW BRIDGES. On the splendid highway to be open- 1 ed to-morrow, there are numerous very j 1 fine bridges. Those of the suspension I 1 type are of the newest designs in the 1 best material, . while the concrete I•* bridges are of fine type and suhstanti.il-1 1 ly built. The following may be named 1 as some of the more important bridges 1- •, long the route to bo traversed tn-n or- 1 row . * Fox River suspension Bridge ('>'.so s feet), Cook River suspension Bridge f (234 foot). Bullock Creek bridge; Salt- a water Creek bridge, Black Creek bridge, i! Havelock Creek bridge, Kiirangarmi r River suspension bridge', Alanakaiaua J Creek bridge, Jacobs River bridge, Ala- I faitahi River bridge, Paringa River j t bridge (under construction'!. In ad-1 t dition there aie numerous large con- v ciete culverts and concrete water ways, I c all of permanent material, and very v substantially built—-all a great job. s s A MAJESTIC STRUCTURE. d I: The Karangarua River suspension o bridge is the main feature on the new S section to he opened. It is, as iudi- I cated, of the suspension type, and is c the largest bridge of its kind on the !i State Highways of New Zealand. It | a has a span of 320 feet, with a width ! r between wheel guards of 10ft Gin. The j i; bridge is a massive structure, and has j p a fine scenic background, looking up the 1 s river to the main mountain range, with i C wooded hills in the foreground. ! f The bridge is supported by two piers, j J each of two cycliiulers, eight feet in t diameter. The north pier is GO feet be- j v low dock level, and the south oof feet _ v below deck level. The bottoms' of the s piers are 27 feet below water level, j j: The height of the piers is 50 feet above j ii deck level. The bridge is supported by li two main cables, each of seven cables, cl six inches in circumference. The total i length of the cables is 6GO feet, and the v weight 4,200 lbs. n I 1 Hie total weight of this -large st-ruc-, 1 -ture is 2.P75 toms. The steel work j < alone is 1(54 tons. ’The amount of eon-’ crote in the aerelions, piers, cycliiulers and decking is 1.752 cubic yards. The

north pi or lias 7-10 cubic yards, the south pier 177; the piers and cylinders 1132, and the deck 103. The decking is of steel girders with covered concrete. The- whole supplies a composite structure which will he admired by all, and is a credit to the designers and constructors. This is another example of the splendid work done by the Public Wor ks Department, which has so many outstanding national works to its credit in the Dominion. The Karangarua bridge will attract special attention from travellers; I'm it is of outstanding .interest on a toute of great variety for the tourist. Hie through route with the opening of h bridge, will practically have all water courses bridged, with little liaiility of serious hold ups. THE EXPERT SEAL. Any icfirenco to this gloat loading scheme wiuiout muaiuii ui -ur i. -i. Johnston, iormor iaist.net Engineer i». cnarge Here, would Jan to do justice to one: who in nis term of ohice, reported very la> ourably oil tne loatuhg proju'i, „iiei gave tne ni'st oineial s*.ai to the undertaking. Air Johnston s report was at once a revelation to tliepublic, and an encouragement to all who oaet oeen utenuiud with the agitation for the extension. At the time, the south road had reached W'eheka, and as-the result of a lee-oimoissance survey and conference with the Otago roauing authorities, the Westland Haast Pass road was reduced to a definite scheme. This official recognition was followed by practical results. A vote appeared on the Estimates, and the great project took real when finally a beginning was made with the work. With this recognition of the work it wa s possibh when a change of government followed shortly after, to urge with greater assurance, tho sTilient features of the undertaking. That, as indicated, bore the best of fruit following the aerial tour of the Hon. Semple and colleagues. Since then, the succeeding District Engineer, Afr R. Trevor Smith, became a warni advocate of tho work and his close association with it gave him an insight into the possibilities of tilt roading scheme. Pie was very enthusiastic about 'the undertaking, and hi' personal inspections and visits have assisted with the progress very materially. On the Otago side, there was another friend in the District Engineer, Air P. Keller, (formerly an ox-Coast lad) and the two Engineers co-operated closely in their departmental attention to the work. The assistant engineers responsible for tho details of the work, and particularly those engaged in designins: the fine bridges, and generally, the high standard of work intended to endure indefinitely, are certainly deserving of special mention. The army of workmen engaged, in al] tho departments. must not he overlooked, and they have something real and practical to look back on in'the splendid results of the labours. BENEFITS TO ACCRUE. Though the completion of this im-

portant national work' will ho deferred duo to the war conditions, it lias lioou advaneod at least sufficiently to indicate its groat possibilities when finally compleu u. oonn tiling material will In added to the assets ol' the Dominion as tliijs road becomes a general highway for trulfic increasing and creating a volume of lands and intercourse which will he of progressive value to all concerned. Above all it should result in the closer settlement of the hitherto neglected hinterland, causing more use to bo made of the latent assets oi the district,- and endowing Westland as a whole with greater prosperity. ADVANCE WESTLAND.